Prioritization and sequencing often get conflated. Work might be important but if it has predecessors and successors it will require sequencing. You can’t deploy a new piece of hardware unless you have it. The acquisition of the equipment comes before deployment.
In Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery (January 2024 preorder now) Jeremy Willets and I state:
“Deciding the order in which to do pieces of work can be both a dynamic and elusive process. The more complex the organization and its product line, the more complex it’ll be to lay out the order of things.“
The people closest to the work generally have a better understanding of the order a piece of work needs to be accomplished. When the order of work is micromanaged there are consequences which include:
- Inefficiency: Developers are in the best position to understand the technical complexities and dependencies of the work. When they are not allowed to sequence tasks based on these constraints, it can lead to inefficiencies in the development process. Developers may have to work on tasks that are technically challenging or dependent on other unfinished work, which can result in unnecessary delays.
- Reduced Quality: Forced sequencing of work can lead to rushed or suboptimal solutions. Developers may need more time or flexibility to implement best practices or thoroughly test their code, which can result in lower-quality output.
- Frustration and Burnout: Developers may become frustrated when they are not given the autonomy to make technical decisions. This can lead to demotivation and, over time, even burnout, as they may feel disempowered and unable to contribute their expertise.
- Missed Deadlines: When developers are not allowed to sequence work based on technical constraints, it can lead to missed deadlines and project delays. Tasks may take longer than expected due to inefficient sequencing, leading to project bottlenecks.
- Increased Risk: Ignoring technical constraints can introduce unnecessary risks to the project. It can lead to issues such as system failures, security vulnerabilities, or data loss, as technical considerations are not given due attention.
To address these issues, all relevant team members need to collaborate (Leadership is Language – Collaborate) closely. The term “all relevant” includes leadership, stakeholders, and developers. The order work is done must account technical for constraints, and developers should be allowed to provide input on task sequencing based on their technical expertise. This collaborative approach can help ensure that work is not only prioritized effectively but also sequenced in a way that maximizes efficiency, quality, and the successful delivery of the product. Jeremy Willets, co-author of Mastering Work Intake: From Chaos to Predictable Delivery (January 2024 sums up the impact of micromanaging via prioritization:
“Trying to sequence an over-prioritized backlog ends up allowing for neither flexibility nor preserving options. It ends up being so finely grained that people and teams have no choice but to put together something intricate and ultimately as fragile as a house of cards.”
Take Action Against IT’s Dirtiest Secret!
Work input, which includes prioritization and sequencing, is how work gets to an organization or team. If you get it wrong you are throwing time and money away. Simply put, poor work intake means no agile for you. Jeremy Willets and I have written Mastering Work Intake tackling the topic that will be published by JRoss Publishing in January 2024. In support of the book, we are building a live, cohort-based course for Agile Coaches, Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Project Managers, Program Managers, and Portfolio Managers on taming work intake. The cohort will cover why work intake is the biggest challenge to teams and organizations today. Attendees will also learn what to do to solve this challenge. This cohort-based course will combine very short lectures, discussions, and exercises. It will provide space to learn and share with peers. We’re using a survey to build a waitlist for the first cohort – link below. We will use the list to alert you when the workshop is available.
